


Truly Annstonishing

by Hypno_Cat



Series: A Queen and Her Pet Panther [1]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/F, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-19 03:19:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14228016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hypno_Cat/pseuds/Hypno_Cat
Summary: Ann Takamaki is simply infatuated with a certain motorcycle riding queen, and she isn't exactly oblivious to it.





	Truly Annstonishing

The first time Ann felt attracted to Makoto was when she had awakened to her Persona. If you asked what drew her, she would go on a tangent. The way she slammed her foot into the floor, cracking the tile, her confidence, and might she add, the suit? The way it hugged her frame, the hypnotizing scarf that she would catch herself staring at far too often, and that fucking mask.

Queen. That was her codename, and Ann could not choose a more fitting one. 

Ever since that day, she grew infatuated. Before, she wasn’t exactly sure what to make of the student council president, but now? She couldn’t help but be totally entranced. The way a strand of hair would fall, accenting her facial shape, or the way she poked her tongue out unconsciously when she was hyper focused, or how she looked when she was royally pissed.

Ann was especially a sucker for that last one.

The thought of confessing had crossed her mind once or twice, but the anxiety of losing the girls friendship had won in the end. She was confident, yes, but was she really willing to go to the risk of losing an extremely good friend?

She actually thought she was doing a good job of hiding her emotions, too. She only indulged in a glance when she thought everyone was focused on something else, and she had managed to control her voice when Makoto had gotten a little close, or surprised her with a question when she had zoned out.

She should have been smarter than to think that she had fooled everyone, though. 

They had gone to mementos, and Ann wasn’t ashamed to admit, at least in her head, that she was once again entranced by Makoto’s form. The way she moved with such elegance and confidence, how she viciously struck down the shadows… Ann could think about it for ages.

But just because she was watching something with great attention, didn’t mean she was concentrating. She tried to focus, she really did, but when Makoto was positioned right next to her, in the optimal place to watch... 

She was pulled to the sidelines quickly after the third time in a row she had been hit. It was incredibly embarrassing, especially when her teammates approached her after the Shadow was taken down, asking how she was feeling. 

And then, a warm hand touched her forehead, and she felt like melting into a giant puddle, because there Makoto stood, a concerned look on her face. “Hmm, you do feel a bit warm. Perhaps you should take it easy, Panther.”

And if a shadow had crept up and stabbed her right then and there, Ann would die a happy woman indeed.

Afterwards, Akira invited her for curry at leblanc, claiming the spice would help her feel better. Somehow, it held an underlying threat underneath, or she was just growing increasingly suspicious for no reason.

And, for the first half, it seemed legitimately harmless, just enjoying the mellow banter between the two of them. Mona was off somewhere with Futaba, who had all but dragged him out of the shop. Ann had even started relaxing into the seat, the smell of coffee soothing her senses. 

And then, Akira slid the plate of curry and a refilled cup of coffee in front of her with a small smile, and grabbed his from the counter. 

After a few minutes of eating in comfortable silence, he just casually stated “In case you’re worried, rest assured that I don’t care if you and Makoto are dating. Just try to stay focused during combat, alright? Surprisingly, buying medicine illegally costs quite a bit, even with the discounts.” and returned to his meal as if it were nothing.    
  


Ann, however, wasn’t so smooth, which was evident when she spilled the contents of her mouth completely down her favorite shirt. (Akira apologized quite a lot for that later.)

But, despite the words of encouragement, Ann didn’t pursue Makoto. The unease that settled in her stomach, the fear of rejection, or worse, what if Makoto died on the battlefield? Right in front of Ann, the life of the woman she loved, slipping away in front of her eyes?

No, it was much better to simply admire from far away.

And then, the unimaginable happened. Mementos and the real world merged, and they disappeared. Surrounded by the uncaring, unseeing masses, their bodys literally faded from existence, and honestly, Ann thought she was dying. Fear had crept up, suffocating her, killing all thoughts of her justice just as fast as she was actually dying.

And then, she had ended up in some cold, blue cell. She could only hope that this was heaven, and that Makoto was there, somewhere, too.

Everything after that was like a whirlwind. She had broken out of the room, with the assistance of Akira, and she had found her way to what could only be described as the main room. It had plenty of things she could look at, but her eyes drew quickly to the one that mattered most.

There, standing in all her confident glory that oozed whenever she donned her mask, was Queen.

Her Queen.

She was alive.

Relief washed through Ann, and she barreled forward, wrapping her arms around Makoto and squeezing with all her strength, not caring if she had made a scene, or that Akira was smirking smugly behind her back, arm around Ryuji.

All she could care about is that the woman, her crush and confidant, was still kicking.

And then, time almost seemed to skip, and they were fighting a god. Whether it was the god, or just one of many, Ann wasn’t sure. (She knew there was some sort of speech in, what was it? The velvet room? But she had zoned out a bit. Emotional exhaustion could do that to you.) 

What she did know, was the despair that had clawed up, when it felt like everything was for naught, and the god seemed to be on the verge of winning. The thought, that while unwelcome, had slithered up. That at least she would die beside Makoto, fighting for her - no, their - sense of justice.

And then, the cheering began.

And that was enough, all in it’s own, to give her a fresh sense of determination.

She remembers the massive being that Akira summoned - demon lord, actually -

and the feeling of pride, being able to stand with him, and the rest of their team, and the awe she was left with as he completely obliterated the god.

And then, the world grew light, and Mona disappeared.

The pain she felt, what could only be described as heartbreak, settled deep in her chest. Her teammate, who had been around her for eight months, who she had shared so many wonderful, pure, and sometimes not so pure memories, was gone.

Everyone felt it, no matter how long they had been in the team. The damn cat had a permanent place in all’s hearts, no matter how well they had gotten along. The mood, no matter the playful banter, exchanged words, or faked smiles, stayed the same.

Ann almost didn’t notice when her teammates started leaving, heading in different directions. A few still hung by, but the one that caught her attention was, unsurprisingly, Makoto. 

For a second she felt the nerves creeping up, but she pushed through. She had just faced God, no way in hell was she getting nervous over a simple conversation. “Hey, Makoto?”

The girl startled, looking up from the area of space she had been fixated on so intensely. “Oh, yes Ann?”

God, how Makoto said her name so softly, so easily… No, it wasn’t the time to get distracted. “Are you occupied tonight? I understand if you are, I just… I guess it’d be nice to relax in the company of someone.” Blood rushed to her cheeks, and Ann could only be thankful that the cold had already pinkened them.

“Oh… Oh! Ah, I’d… I’d really like that!” Makoto stuttered, her composure left in shreds, not that the blonde noticed. She merely smiled - not her best, but it was genuine - and linked arms with her Queen, only pausing long enough to wave goodbye to Akira, before running off.

She didn’t notice his smile, or fist pump, or the grey-haired woman who approached him.

Instead, she noticed just how warm Makoto really was.

 

And later that night, she got to notice just how soft her lips were, too. 


End file.
